


If Players Didn't Care About Winning...

by Beth H (bethbethbeth)



Category: You Could Make a Life Series - Taylor Fitzpatrick
Genre: Gen, Healthy Scratch, M/M, not the nicest GM, post Succor ficlet, pure wish fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23124520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethbethbeth/pseuds/Beth%20H
Summary: A tiny coda to the just-posted part 113 of  the "Impaired Judgment (and other excuses)" series
Relationships: Bryce Marcus/Jared Matheson implied
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	If Players Didn't Care About Winning...

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Succor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23121571) by [youcouldmakealife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcouldmakealife/pseuds/youcouldmakealife). 



"Your fan club's here," says Gene Principe, pointing at the monitor at the front of the press box,

Jared looks at the screen and spots the pair of twin girls who sit at the Oilers glass with their parents almost every home game, waving at him during warmups and giggling. Somehow, they've migrated to Calgary for the night and are holding up a sign with "Where's Jared?" written on it in orange and blue letters and surrounded by way too many hearts.

"Well," Jared thinks to himself, "at least somebody notices I'm not playing."

Or maybe he said it out loud, because the next thing he knows, Principe - about to head over to the Oilers' booth - has his hand on Jared's shoulder. "You should be out there," he says quietly.

*

The last person Jared would have expected to be texting him at ten minutes to game time would be Chaz.

J: _everything ok?_

C: _w/ us yeah, but does everyone on the Oilers have the flu?_

J: _????_

C: _Last minute lineup change_

J: _What?_

C: _Halla and Rogers both out for tonight. Says they're sick?_

J: _WHAT??_

*

It looks like last minute texting didn't hurt Chaz's game, because he scores twice and picks up two assists.

Bryce gets a hatty in the first period, then scores once more in the third.

*

Ordinarily Jared would be way more bummed to be scratched _and_ see his team lose 9 to 2, but when he gets a look at the sour expression on Deslauriers' face up on the tv screen as the game comes to an end, it's almost worth it.


End file.
